The Birds and the Beasts Were There

Very good used paperback.

Santa Barbara in the 1960s was home to two of the 20th century’s most important mystery writers, Margaret Millar and her husband, Ken (Ross Macdonald). It was also home to nearly 400 species of bird. This is the charming story of Ken and Maggie’s quest to see them all.
 
The addiction that is birdwatching comes to vivid life in Margaret Millar’s delightful memoir of her early days as a naturalist. Part autobiography and part birdwatcher’s journal, it is a moving elegy to a bygone place and time. 

Margaret Millar's lively narrative depicts the wildlife at her feeding stations in all seasons, from the shimmering rufous hummingbirds moving through on their migratory routes to the playful raccoons washing their food. Then came the Coyote fire, rushing down from the mountains, sparing Millar's house but burning the trees and brush harboring her wild friends. In the aftermath, Millar hiked through the ashes and watched the canyon slowly heal itself.

Margaret Millar and Ken were founding members of the Santa Barbara Audubon Society.